I just wanted to stay in touch with you all while I am gone this semester. How has the start of the semester been for us? It is killing me that I had to leave in the middle of everything, but I am glad to hear that George is helping Levi organize everyone. My roommate here plays for Amherst and I met a kid who plays at Tufts and one who plays for Temple. We are getting a team together and joining a local league. I am still trying to find an actual team to train with. I asked our campus advisor about any and he is looking into it for me. I went to the AS Roma game last Saturday…unreal. The atmosphere made my want to hop on the pitch so bad. Rome is so awesome and the food is even better. In being here for just 2 week i have already lost weight..my pants are a size to big. I am going to Florence and Bologna this weekend. Do you have any advice on where I should go or what I should see? Sunday I am going to the Florence-Siena game..it should be fun. Well I just wanted to stay in touch and see how everything was going. Press on guys!

I spent three wonderful days at the Juventus pre-season camp in a mountain town located in the western Alps, called Bardonecchia. There were more than 7,500 fans each day and this year the club had even charged admission! At any rate, I was able to attend 6 training sessions and a full game – the first for the players after a week of training. Coach Antonio Conte – a former Juventus and Italian National Team player – made his team go over and over passing patterns and attacking schemes with static balls and no opposition in order to imprint certain movements into the muscle memory of his players – I was impressed … and surprised about coach’s meticulous and detailed application to “endless” repetitions. At the same time, I was relieved … repetitions is the key to learn anything and seeing professional players focusing so much and for so long on what may seems tedious and boring, reinforced and validated my ideas and coaching style.

Quagliarella had scored 8 goals in the first four months of the season last year, before he tore his ACL in January. After six months from surgery, he is fully recovered and ready to go.

After the Juventus camp, I traveled a few hours to visit the training camp of Napoli in another sections of the Alps mountains for the last two days. Coach Mazzarri is one of the most innovative and inventive coaches in the Italian Seria A. Today, I definitely came away with some good ideas …. here are two picks:

Coach Mazzarri directs his players during a warm up jog

Coach Mazzarri emphasized quick ground passes, intensity, and rhythm when proposing attacking schemes. Everything was geared to constant movements off the ball and everyone’s involvement during possession, transition, and non-possession.

Coach Mazzarri and Marek Hamsik

Activities involved speed of play with the ball traveling rapidly between players, north-south possession with ground balls, number forwards in the attack, and maintaining supporting shape – triangle – in every area of the field.

I am on my way to watch AC Milan train and if possible, finish the week with AC Roma, where Luis Enrique from Spain just got the Head Coaching job after two years with the FC Barcelona “B” Team, before I take off on a sailboat across the Mediterranean Sea.

My name is Ryan Fier. I grew up and have lived my entire life in Columbus, IN. I have played nearly every position on the field. In ODP I made it to the regional pool selection as a center defender. I played club soccer at Bloomington Cutters under Phil Presser, the former IU assistant head coach, my Freshman and Sophomore years of HS as a central midfielder. I also played the same position throughout my career at Columbus North High School. My Junior year of club soccer was plagued with many injuries which resulted in me sitting out nearly the entire season. For my Senior year of club soccer, I made the Development Academy team at Carmel United and ended my club soccer career winning a national championship their, the third Carmel has won. At Wabash, I played and started nearly every game as a Freshmen and Sophomore captain. I started out playing as an outside midfielder my Freshmen year. During my Sophomore year, I played everywhere inthe midfield and ended the season playing as a lone striker, which is what I will be playing next year.

In regards to school, I am a Biology major and Chemistry minor. I have hopes and dreams of going into the medical field whether I fall into med school or podiatry school, who knows. This year, I will live in an off-campus house with a few of the other soccer players. I am also a member of the Malcolm X Institute on campus and am the co-chairman of Associateship for the brotherhood.

My goals for myself this season is to gain honors for first team all-conference. More importantly, as a team, I hope that we break into the national rankings and make it to the NCAA tournament. I hope everyone is training hard and still having fun.

My name is Joe Stiglitz. I am a junior defender from Da Region or Highland, IN to be exact. I have been playing soccer since I was 6 years old. I have played for Indiana Inter and Millennium Soccer Club, but over the last three years I have been played in Chicago’s CLASA and Hispano Soccer Leagues. In high school, I played outside mid or defensive mid until senior year when I had to play sweeper. My sophomore and junior seasons we were the top team in our area, yet we lost to Munster in the sectional finals both years. At Wabash, I have seen a lot of playing time. Freshman year, I was patient and found playing time in the second have of the season and in conference play, starting in some of our most important games. Last season, I played in and/or started in all of our conference games. I have gained a lot experience not only through playing in games, but also being a back up to Mark Babcock and Jon Funston.

Regarding academics, I am a Math major and Physics and Art double minor with Pre-Engineering area of concentration. After Wabash, I hope to pursue a career in Engineering/Architecture or become an Actuary. A goal in my life is to complete an IronMan triathlon. I am a brother in Beta Theta Pi fraternity. On campus, I am a member of Math Club and APO, a community service fraternity. Second semester I will be having an experience of a lifetime, studying abroad in Rome, Italy. I am looking forward to this coming season to prove all the doubters wrong. We have an experienced roster not to mention a strong incoming class. Lets not disappoint.

Hello, I am George Vinihakis. I currently reside in Orland Park, Illinois which is nearly 25 miles south of Chicago. I have not always lived there. I was born in Greece, specifically the city of Iraklion which is located on the island of Crete, which is the southern most extent of Europe. I attended the nearby high school of Carl Sandburg and have played soccer there all four years of schooling and I also play for the Chicago Fire Juniors. We have just won State Cup in Illinois and are now preparing for Regionals which is the end of next week. We hope to advance to Nationals in July and have a good chance since we are undefeated.

I have been playing soccer ever since I can remember. I was brought into the sport because of my father who played semi-professionally in Greece some years ago. Soccer has been a big part of my life, as I’m assuming it is to most of the other players on the team as well. The sport has taught me many valuable lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom but rather on the field.

At Wabash I am planning on majoring in economics and possibly minoring in political science. My inclination to seek such a degree is because I feel like both fields are competitive in nature and with my competitive an eager spirit, I believe it is the right fit for me.

Frank Sinatra had once said, “I’m gonna live till I die”. At this juncture of my life I believe it is imperative to enjoy life but I look at life as being a fragile object. Life can be taken away at any moment as I have had unfortunate experience both within my family and through one of my close friends near death experience. In my life span I wish to become successful, monetarily and personally. Monetary success means for me to be able to afford the sport cars of my childhood dreams along with being able to support my entire family. I look to donate a substantial amount to charities and movements that promote the progression of the human race rather than aiding in political striffes. I wish to become personally successful as well meaning that I wish to grow to become a true man, a Wabash man.

“Hey fellas, for those of you who don’t know my name is Matt Paul. I’m a rising junior goalkeeper from Bloomington, IN. I’ve been playing competitive soccer for almost 10 years now having started out with Bloomington Cutters in U13. I played with Cutters for the following 3 years before moving the Center Grove Soccer Club to get more playing time in U16. I played high school soccer at Bloomington High School North and was a 4 year letter winner, though I didn’t start until senior year because I was stuck behind an ’08 grad. During my time at North we were Regional champs 3 straight years and my last high school soccer game was a loss to Fier and CJ’s Columbus North team in a PK shootout in semi-state. At Wabash I have spent most of my time as a backup, first to Pat my freshman year and then to Ian MacDougall last season. I look forward to coming into next year with my best chance to play yet, though I know that Kenny and Will are going to push me and I greatly welcome that. While I am not the tallest goalkeeper I like to think that my technique and preparation make up for that fact and allow me to excel nonetheless.

Personally, I am a History and Spanish double major and an English minor. I am a resident assistant and will be living on Martindale 4th floor next year. Besides being on the soccer team I am a member of Pre-Law society and hope to go on to law school after my time at Wabash is up. I will also be traveling to Granada, Spain for second semester next year to study abroad for four months. I like to spend time with friends and listen to music, as well as watch soccer of course. I have high hopes for this team in the coming up season. We all know that we have underachieved these past couple of seasons and I think it is about time that we started overachieving. We are going to be a veteran, experienced team and its about time we started acting like it. I like the goals that Pat has set, but my challenge is a little more abstract: Lets be the best that we can be, and don’t let anything get in the way of that. I’ll see you guys in a couple of months, take care!”

Hey guys, my name is Blake Jennings. As you may know, I am Austin’s brother, whose on the team now. But I do not want to be know as Austin’s brother or Little Jennings. I was that all throughout high school. I want to make my own name for myself and beat him if I may add!! I have been living in Noblesville all my life; been playing soccer I was about three years old. We have always been a soccer family. I have tried other sports here and there but suicides, really? Come on! Who likes those? That’s where my basketball career ended. I was not a big fan of standing in the outfield in baseball, so I quit that too. Soccer is just what I love to do and I have always pushed myself so I could get to where I am now. Hell, I am a Little Giant now! Every since my brother went here, I have wanted to go as well. I am going to make the best of it… We are going to make the best of it.

I am planning on majoring in Biology so I can be a Chiropractor or Dermatologist, haven’t decided yet. And I am going into Sigma Ki to live and pledge. I am looking forward to meeting the rest of the incoming freshmen and the team. Cannot wait for the season to begin, pre-season for that matter. I am a little intimidated but it’s a new experience, new field, new team, new everything.